Dulce De Leche - making from scratch

Hello folks, How r u all ? These days I find it difficult to post often with my neck and nerve problems. I've been craving for a brownie filled with caramel or dulce de leche for a while now and it was not easy for me to make it instantly with my sickness , so after a week plus, I've entered my kitchen to whip up something for myself.

Somehow I managed to make this dulce de leche one fine night as there is someone available to take care of baby A, while I cook. And so the step wise clicks has a yellow tinge exposure, which at this stage is nearly impossible to edit that out. Guys, let me tell you something, making the dulce de leche from scratch demands at the least 60 minutes of ur attention. In the end, u'll be happy that u've tried it as it is very yummy and I can say with confidence that it tastes much better and more yummier than making from condensed milk. Do try this recipe once and u'll find what I mean. Stay tuned for a perfectly fudgy dulce de leche brownie post sooner in this space..Watch out..

Take a heavy bottomed non stick pot , preferably 8 Quart, and pour one liter of milk , heat on medium high flame until it comes to a boil.

Add the sugar to the milk ,stir until the sugar completely dissolves. Now add the baking soda and mix well.

Watch carefully from now on, as the milk would start raising high for the next 15 minutes of the cooking time.

Click on the pic for the better view

Continue to stir the milk, so that it doesn't get burnt on the bottom. Turn down the flame to medium. Make sure the milk has a rolling boil all through the time, reduce the flame or remove the pot from the flame when the milk foams up to the top. Keep on doing the same for the next 15 minutes or so.

Colour of the milk would be slightly pale yellow in colour. The colour would getting darker and darker as the time proceeds.

Click on the pic for the better view

Keep on stirring the milk by keeping the flame in medium flame for the next 45 minutes.

U may also remove the foam which is floating on the top if u wish, else leave it as such, later filter the dulce de leche through a sieve.

For the next 15 minutes , the milk would not raise much, but will raise once every 2 to 3 minutes.

Later, the milk would have reduced to half and slightly thicker, darker in colour.

Click on the pic for the better view

Keep on stirring every now and then for the next 15 minutes, by the time the colour would have turned more darker and thicker in consistency.

Stop the cooking when you see the milk has reached 1/3 rd of the original , i.e. 1 1/2 cups when u eyeball it. Switch off. Remove the pot from the stove.

Click on the pic for the better view

Add the vanilla extract to the dulce de leche and mix well to combine. Pass the mixture through a sieve and filter. Place the dulce de leche on the counter top till it comes down to room temperature and then save in a container, store in the refrigerator. Stays good for more than a month.

Notes:

Do not worry, if it's slightly runny, will thickens as it cools down. If u want a more thicker consistency than it is in the pic given here, cook a little more time , say another 5 to 10 minutes.

It took nearly 60 minutes of cooking time for the consistency pictured here.

The recipe asks to use 2 cups of sugar, but I feel it's a little too sweet, so u may reduce 1/2 cup if u also feel the same.

Make sure to stir very often, almost all the time, esp around the end time, otherwise there will be more lumps and there are chances for the dulce de leche gets burnt n tastes bitter.